By Vikas Mehta
As a kid when radio was the primary source of entertainment, news and advertisements, ads would resort to jingles to be memorable. Memorable was the keyword but there was another reason for the same. In a short jingle one could mention two-three brand benefits, sometimes more. Take Nirma for example. It was doodh ki safedi, rangeen kapda, sabki pasand, dher saari jhaag, Or Vicco Turmeric and many more. Of course there were some memorable ads that had singular refrain, Vicks; gale mein khich khich or Lifebuoy hai jahan tandoorasti hai wahan.
With the advent of TV, the songs were accentuated with dances. The Zupee ad exemplifies this. An old song tune which resonates to Zupee has been remixed and there is a whole lot of song and dance added to it. Thankfully choreographed and executed by professional dancers.
Thankful because, with the advent of film and sports celebrities we started having a cocktail; song, dance and celebrity. IPL of course started a new trend wherein sponsor brands could use many team players. Kingfisher was the pioneer of this strategy with the Ooh la la la leo campaign featuring three-four main players from almost all teams singing and dancing to the Kingfisher jingle, rather awkwardly. And then Jio took over doing exactly the same with dhan dhana dhan campaign. It does lead to some hilarious moments with sports celebrities trying their best to emote and show off their two left foot.
So, I was very thankful when Meesho, having sponsored four IPL teams did not go the song and dance route. They have still used the top three-four players who are trying their best to act and say “arre wah”. And the benefit is also straightforward and simple. Unseen variety, unheard prices. I am not a big fan of using celebrities or song and dance as to me it is a reflection of lazy strategy, indeed, no strategy at all. But Meesho has done a better job than the above mentioned brands.
Talking of song, Tata Neu sticks on to its lure of Neu pass coins or rewards. With a song. Of course the song very cleverly showcases the mindboggling range that the Neu app offers. From a lotta to a latte to a shoe to an air ticket to a laptop and so on. But the product, the App, still leaves me in tangles.
I had spoken about Swiggy Instamart recently, lauding their quick delivery premise without getting into specifics of 10 minutes or 19 minutes, but still owning quick delivery. Dunzo has taken the route of freshness to highlight quick delivery. The execution though was not at all convincing. After all a fridge is used to do much more than just keep groceries fresh. And then it could also not escape the lure of mentioning 19 minutes. If you have it flaunt it.
There is also no escape from celebrities. Just when one thought that all sports celebrities have been exhausted in the use of fantasy games brands, the quintessential Shah Rukh Khan pops up. This time for a game site called A23. This ad though is quite a change and relief from other celebrity ads. Some iconic dialogues of Mr Khan’s movies are used to illustrate that one can meet and play with many interesting people. A debateable, or at least a thought provoking angle, especially when online games are seen to make people more anti social and introvert.
Talking about Mr Khan, did you see his Byju’s ad which focusses on doubt clearing? We were till now focussing on the pressure on students to deliver. But now the pressure shifts onto the Byju’s teachers. Looks like they have to be on call all the time to clear the student’s doubt. Phew! Never thought I will see the day when teachers will be available on demand too. We do live in interesting times.